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Do psychoanalytical theories offer a satisfactory expalnation of crime
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Wed Mar 14 2007
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Do psychoanalytical theories offer a satisfactory explanation of crime? Within criminal psychology there is no one particular theory of crime but there are many psychological accounts. Psychoanalytical theories examine the significance of unconscious and irrational motivations in criminal behaviour. Crime is explained as an expression of unconscious pathological processes. There are many other plausible explanations of crime including learning theories and cognitive psychology. In this short piece I will examine these three areas of psychology to explain that no one theory can offer a satisfactory explanation of criminal behaviour. Sigmund Freud developed psychoanalytical theory however he did not give an explanation for crime but other psychologists later applied his ideas to criminal behaviour. Freud stated that the personality consists of a tripartite structure, the id, ego and superego. The id embodies natural drives and urges that are pleasure seeking and anti-social such as sexual or aggressive urges. The ego is that part...
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